Binder



Sept. 17, 1929" MEV] 1,728,430

T' BINDER Feb- 9, 1928 '2 Sheets-$heet l INVENTOR By 6eazye GZ/Zevi WNEY.

(5. G. MEVI Sept. 1 7, 1929.

BINDER Filed Feb. 9,

1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i George Mel v, ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 17, 1929 UNITED STATES GEonGE G. -MEVI, on NEW YORK, 7N. Y.

BINDER Application filed February 9,-192.8.' Serial No. 253,033.

The particular purpose of this invention is to provide a combined book-cover and easel of simplified construction, and to this end it c-omprehends (1) a correlation of parts by which the member which constitutesthe backbone of the cover will also form an integral part of the easel; and (2) a correlation of parts by which the cover and its contents may be supported in up and down open position by the conjoint actionof the backbone member and lids of the cover and a single supporting leg, which leg isfoldable upon the backbone member of'the cover and at no time interferes with the free opening and closing of the book or turning of the leaves contained between the lids.

Two typical constructions embodying the foregoing features are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment, looking from the rear, with the book open and supported bythe easel structure;

Fig. 2 is a detail representation of the same embodiment showing. a part ofthe book and illustrating the parts-in closed condition;

Fig. 3 is a detail end view of the same embodiment, showing the book open andlying flat, and drawn to a smaller scalethan the preceding figures;

Fig. 4: is a bottom plan view partly broken away to show one of the fastening means for the leaves, the said fastening meansbeing illustrated in section. I

Figs. 5-8, inclusive, illustrate aslightlydifferent embodiment, Fig. 5 beinga perspective View of said slightly different embodiment looking from the rear and with the book open and supported by the easel structure; Fig. 6 being a section taken on a line which extends through the easel structure and showing the latter in closed condition; Fig. .7 being an end View on a smaller scale, showing the back open and lying flat and Fig. 8 being a bottom I plan view partly broken away to show one of the fastening meansfor the leaves, the said fastening means being illustrated in section.

The preferred application of this invention is as an integral part of a book-cover. of the loose leaf binder'type and, accordingly, it has been illustrated and will hereinafter bedescribedas-a part of covers of .that parlZlClllilIdZYPQ without, however, intending to restrict the scope 'ofthe protectionthereto, since it maybeusefully. employed as a part of any large bookwhose cover is of construction suitable to be employed with the foldable leg which constitutes an element of the easel structure. I i

In both illustrated forms of the invention,

the cover comprises the lids A and A, a member (marked B in Figs. 1-4 and B in Figs. 5-8) which is of rigid construction and constitutes both the backbone of the cover and one leg of an easel structure,.-and two strips marked 1 and 2, respectively, of substantially rigid construction andbetween which the 'rear endmembers 3 ofthe loose leaves are arranged and areremovably secured. The I bodiesfi of the leavesareformed separate from said members 3 and are connected there to along theirrear longitudinal edges in any; suitable manner which will permit them to be individually. folded along the lines ,5, relativelyto the members 3 and to the strips 1 and 2 and lids A and A. Any suitable means for securingthe leaves detachably between the strips 1 and 2 [and through said strips to the backbone B of the cover may be employed. The means illustratedfor this purpose and whichI prefer comprise an appropriate numberof,fasteners,.each including a socket 6 having a head at one end, and a screwv threaded stem 7 which is insertible within the socket. and has ahead 7 at its end opposite the head 6 of the socket These fasteners extend throughthe-strips 1 and 2 and the rear end members 3 of the leaves andtheir heads 6' and 7 lie against the outer surfaces of the strips 1 and2. Obviously,they are extensible to permit variation in the number of leavesand their members are detachable from each other topermitremoval or insertion of the leaves. s

f The lids A andAQmember B or B and strips 1 and 2 are hingedly connected along their contiguous edges, as indicated at 1 and 2 in Figs. 4 and 8 to permit the book to be opened and closed and to avoid a space between the inner. surfaces of the lids and the top and. bottom sheets, respectively, substantially regardless of the number of sheets within the book.

As hereinbefore stated, the member B or B forms one leg ofan easel structure, as well as an integral part of the cover. In both of the forms illustrated to exemplify preferred embodiments of the instant invention, the easel structure is completed by a leg which is hinged at one of its ends to the corresponding end of said member B or B so as to be foldable down upon said member and so that it may be opened out from its said folded position when it is desired to support the book in open and standing position. In both of these illustrated forms also, a brace is provided to connect the member B or B forming one leg with the member which forms the other leg of the easel structure.

In the form particularly illustrated in Fig. 1, the foldable leg is designated C. This leg is flat and preferably substantially co-extensive in length with the length of the member B. It is hinged at its upper end to the upper end of said member as shown 10. Its brace is preferably formed, as shown, of two arms 11 and 12 having overlapping ends pivotally connected to each other, at 13, and having their other ends pivotally connected, as at 14 and 15, respectively, to corresponding lateral edges of the backbone B and leg 0.

Near the pivot 13 joining contiguous ends of the arms to each other, one of the arms is formed with a lateral projection 16 and the other with a notch 17 to receive said pro jection when the brace is in its open position.

The correlation of the projection and notch is such that they inter-engage automatically at the completion of the movement of the leg C to its open position, and co-act to hold the brace in said position, and said correlation is also such that their inter-engagement may be broken by downward pressure imposed by the user on the arms 1 and 2 at the oint formed by the pivot 3 extending through the overlapping ends of said arms.

The embodiment illustrated in Figs. 58, inclusive, differs from the embodiment illustrated in Figs. ll, inclusive, in that the mem ber, marked B in these figures forming the backbone of the cover and one leg of the easel structure, the member C forming the other leg of the easel structure and the brace are so correlated that the brace will be concealed in one of said legs when it is not exercising its bracing function. This particular brace may comprise a single arm, as 20, hingedly connected to one of the legs. One of the legs is formed with a channel to receive this brace 20 when the latter is in non-bracing position and appropriate fastening means are provided to secure the brace detachably in bracing position. As here illustrated, the leg to which the brace 20 is pivotally connected at one end is that leg (B) which also forms the backbone of the cover or binder, and the channel is formed in the other leg, marked C. This is preferred, but is not essential.

In the illustrated embodiment, extensions 21 and 22 are flexibly secured to opposite ends of the body of the brace 20 so as to be foldable relatively to said body along the lines 21' and 22, respectively. The extension 21 is permanently secured, in the illustrated embodiment, to the member B by a fastening element 23 analogous to the socket member of a glove fastener. Ihe extension 22, when the bracing member is in use, lies along the inner surface of the leg C and is detachably secured to said leg by a fastening means analogous to a glove fastener. T he socket member of said fastening means is carried by said extension 22 and the male member is secured to the leg C. This male member is marked 25 and is so positioned that it will inter-engage with the socket member of the extension 22 when the brace 20 is opened and will interenge with the socket member 23 when the leg C is closed and the brace member is in its closed position against the backbone B and within the channel formed in the leg C. The backbone B is shown as formed with a depression 26 to receive its fastening element 2%. Thus, it will be seen that the brace 20 may be folded closely against the confronting surfaces of the backbone B and leg C and will. be substantially concealed when in its said folded position and that the said leg C will be secured when in its folded position against the backbone B.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that in both forms of the structure, the leg C or C when in folded position lies substantially flatwise upon the rear surface of the backbone B or B which forms the other leg of the easel structure and that it may be turned about its hinged connection 0 to an open position in which the backbone B or B and the leg C or C diverge from each other and constitute supporting legs of an easel structure by which the book-cover or binder and its contents may be held in a standing position, somewhat inclined rearwardly and upwardly from the lower edges of the cover and its contents. It will be understood that when the book is open and its backbone and supporting leg have been positioned in their book-supporting relation, the lower edges of the lids and more especially the outer corners thereof will be in contact with the surface upon which the book is mounted and will thereby co-operate with the backbone B or B and legs C or C in preventing the falling or accidental closure of the book.

It will also be understood that since the legs C or C lie substantially flatwise upon the backbone B or B of the book-cover or binder, they will not, in anywise, interfere with the opening or closing of the book when the lat- ,ter is lying flatwise upon a suitable suppor ing surface.

embodiments and the brace of the embodiment shown in Figs. 5-8, inclusive, are covered to conform in appearance with the lids and backbone.

Reference is hereto made to an application for Letters Patent executed by me of even date herewith and entitled Book supports, illustrative of an embodiment having some features similar to those inclusive in the similar application but in which the easel structure is separate from the book-cover or binder and may be applied to different ones thereof.

Having thus described the invention and set forth certain typical embodiments thereof, what I believe to be new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A book cover or binder comprising lids, supporting legs pivotally connected to each other, one of said legs being also connected to the rear longitudinal edges of the lids to thereby form the backbone of the cover or binder, and a brace to maintain the legs in their open relation and foldable into nonholding position between confronting sur faces of the legs, one of said legs having a longitudinal channel to receive the brace when the latter is in its folded position.

2. A book cover or binder comprising lids, supporting legs one of which is flexibly connected to the rear longitudinal edges of the lids to thereby form the backbone of the cover or binder, means pivotally connecting the legs to each other to permit them to be folded one noon the other and to be opened into a diverging relation, mating fastening elements to inter-engage when the legs are in their folded relation, and a brace pivotally connected to one of the legs and provided with. a fastening element to inter-engage with one of the first mentioned fastening elements when the legs are in their said diverging relation.

5. A book cover or binder comprising lids, supporting legs one of which is flexibly connected to the rear longitudinal edges of the lids to thereby form the backbone of the cover or binder, means pivotally connecting the legs to each other to permit them to be folded one upon the other and to be opened into a diverging relation, mating fastening elements to inter-engage when the legs are in their folded relation, and a brace connected to one of the legs and provided with a fastoning element to interengage with one of the first mentioned fastening elements when the legs are in their said diverging relation, said brace being foldable relatively to the legs into non-bracing position and one of said legs hav ing a longitudinal channel in which it lies when so folded 4:. A book cover or binder comprising a rigid backbone having forwardly projecting substantially parallel strips flexibly con nected therewith and spaced to receive loose leaves or the like betweenthem, and'a supportingleg. of substantially rigid construction'hingedlyconnected to said backbone.

5. A book cover or binder comprising a backbone, lids'flexibly connected 1 along their 0 rear edgesto'opposite sides of said backbone, substantially parallel members also flexlbly connected along their rear edges to the back-' bone and saaced from each other leaves l a s, whose bOCllGS'ZLI'G provided along their rear portions with strips which are flexibly con- I nected to said bodies and are received in the space between said b nder members, means extending through. said strips and binder members to secure the leaves removably in the I binder, a supporting leg substantially co-extensive with said backbone and pivotally con nected thereto at one of its ends, to be thereby foldablenpon said backbone and to be movable into a diverging position with rela tion to said-backbone, and a pivoted brace to holdsaid'leg and backbone in their said diverging relation. 7

61A unitary book cover or binder which is self-supporting in standing position when open, said cover or binder comprehending a pair oflaterally opening side members or lids, a rigid back member which connects the lidsor side members with each other, a supporting leg pivotally connected to the back member to have opening movement rearward into a divergent relationship therewith and a bracing member to hold the leg against accidental closing movement toward the back member. I

7. A unitary book cover or binder includ ing two rigid back members hingedlyconnected to each other to be adapted to be closed one upon the other or to be opened into a divergent relationship, and a pairof side members or lids having their rear longitudinal portions hingedly connected to one of said rigid back members to adapt them to be closed toward each other or to be opened laterally upon opposite sides of the rigid member, at will, said back'members and side members co-operating when open to support the cover or binder in standing position.

8. A unitary book cover or binder which is self-supporting in standing position when i open, including two back members substantially co-extensive in area and hingedly connected to each other to be adapted to be closed one upon the other or to be opened into a divergent relationship, a pair of side members or lids having their rear longitudinal portions hingedly connected to one of said back members and a bracing means to connect the back members with each other when in their opened relationship. A

9. A unitary self-supporting book cover of loose leaf binder type, including two back members hingcdly connected to each other to be adapted to be closed one upon the other or to be opened into divergent relationship, a pair of side members or lids having their rear longitudinal portions hingedly connected to one of said back members, the said back members and lids or side members 00- operating to support the book in standing position when open, a pivoted brace to hold the back members in their open position, and elements between the lids or cover for the attachment of detachable leaves.

10. A unitary self-supporting book cover of loose leaf binder type, including a pair of laterally opening side members or lids, a rigid back member which forms the backbone of the cover, said lids or slide members having their rear longitudinal portions hingedly connected to the back member and connected with each other thereby, whereby they may be opened laterally or closed one toward the other relatively to the back member, means between the lids or side members for the attachment of detachable leaves, a supporting leg hingedly connected at one end to the rigid back member to be capable of opening into an inclined position rearWa-rdly thereof, and a pivoted braceto hold the supporting leg in its open position; saidback member, side members and leg co-operating to support the binder in standing position when open.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

GEORGE G. MEVI. 

